No man can control his belief. If I hear certain evidence I will believe a certain thing. If I fail to hear it I may never believe it. If it is adapted to my mind I may accept it; if it is not, I reject it. And what am I to go by? My brain. That is the only light I have from Nature, and if there be a God it is the only torch that this God has given me to find my way through the darkness and night called life. I do not depend upon hearsay for that. I do not have to take the word of any other man nor get upon my knees before a book. Here in the temple of the mind I consult the God, that is to say my reason, and the oracle speaks to me and I obey the oracle. What should I obey? Another man's oracle? Shall I take another man's word - not what he thinks but what he says some God has said to him?
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Belief follows evidence and reason, not external authority, making the mind the only guide.
- In plain terms
- I only believe what my brain finds reasonable not what others tell me.
- What can you take from it?
- Use your own reason to form beliefs instead of relying on authority.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- Do you trust yourself?
- What is truth?
Another view
Reason can be biased or flawed too.
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